Once upon a time there was a local count who owned a couple of jousting grounds. He ran his own local jousting tourneys and entered teams of knights in the local duke's jousting tourneys.

For some unknown reason he started sending open letters to the local duke and anyone around who could read. These letters were full of untruths about how the local duke ran his team jousting tourneys and arguably reason for challenge. The local duke decided that it would be best if he ignored these letters as to take them seriously would be to give them legitimacy. One of his lackeys did try to set the local count right on one or two points of order but the local count ignored him. Next the local count placed much of the same writings on a noticeboard on the main highway for anyone to see. Then when the local duke had had enough he suspended the local count's right to enter teams in his name in the local duke's tourneys. The local count seemingly interpreted this to mean that his knights couldn't go and practise at one or two of his neighbouring counts' jousting grounds and sent an open letter to those other local counts. When the local duke heard about this he told the other local counts that he hadn't banned knights from that local count practising or entering tourneys at their jousting grounds, but had suspended that local count entering teams of knights in his name to the duke's team jousting tourneys. Next the local count appealed to, not the local lord, but to the king about what he perceived was going on.

Infodump time. The rules of jousting were handed down from the emperor overseas, but there were usually local rules to accommodate local conditions such as when the roads became impassable or a particular jousting ground was too muddy. The blades, shield and armor used had to be approved by the emperor's armorers, blades had a maximum sharpness, shields and armor had a maximum thickness and a minimum friction as decreed by the emperor.

One of the notices put up on the main highway accused the duke of trying to either take over the local count's holding or to render it valueless through his tourney scheduling. Another notice complained that the duke's tourneys had too many local rulings that the duke used to make sure that only his favourites won every tourney. Yet another notice accused the duke of misusing tourney entry fees, and his lord of not paying his dues.

From the latest notices, the local count appears to be putting together his own set of tourneys in direct competition with the duke, and trying to attract custom with sly asides about the duke.

Although not Chinese it would appear that the subjects including the duke are cursed to live in interesting times.

<stepping out of story telling mode>At this point in time I can neither confirm nor deny that events portrayed in this fairy tale (A Knight's Tale?) bear any resemblance to anything happening in the real world and that all characters portrayed are fictional.<stepping back into story telling mode>

Apart from the libel / slander which appears to be going on here between the Count and Duke, what is the motive for the Count's actions. Table tennis does not generate much income and players unlike knights are notoriously fickle with a tendency to think they are doing event organisors a great favour by attending these events.

Why doesn't the Duke take legal action against the Count or simply challenge him to a jousting event. Failing that, I'm sure little Darksider would be happy to step in and engage in some instant justice.

Apart from the libel / slander which appears to be going on here between the Count and Duke, what is the motive for the Count's actions. Table tennis does not generate much income and players unlike knights are notoriously fickle with a tendency to think they are doing event organisors a great favour by attending these events.

Apparently the count is in conflict with his immediate neighbors about water rights and the like, and with the bishop about theological matters (and may well argue with minstrels, peasants and pot healers for all I know), so this is probably not just about jousting and tourneys for him. It is said that he has recently retired from sitting in court so time lies heavily on him.

The story continues ...The local count continues to stir the pot. He sends yet another open letter to those who can read, addressed to another count restating that his knights were still banned from other counts halls and jousting grounds and tourneys, but to ask the duke about it as only the duke can say what the ban means. The other count writes a letter by return despatch rider in response saying that it wasn't true and that local count's knights were welcome to darken the threshold of their halls and use their jousting grounds. The duke also sends an open letter to those who can read that rebuts that local count's interpretation of the ban and says that the duke can't tell counts who can enter their halls and jousting grounds.

Reminds me of a story I read about the old days when there was a US Ping Pong Association as well as the USTTA. You had them banning players for playing in tournaments organized by the other association, even cancelling titles won at previous tournaments so that the winner couldn't go play at international tournaments overseas, etc. Since USPPA was owned by Parker Brothers, anyone sponsored by Parker Brothers (this usually came in the form of having your name and face put on bats and ping pong sets and your getting royalties for items sold) couldn't play in USTTA tournaments and was banned from participating in ITTF tournaments overseas, though they COULD play in World Ping Pong tournaments organized by Parker Bros., etc.

As described previously, the local count is attempting to put together a rival tourney season to the duke's. He has been keeping his scribes very busy - his attempt to make his tourney season "fun fair and friendship" with very few local rules seems to be running into trouble. At last count his compendium of local rules is up to edition X, and there is no sign that X marks the actual spot.

Another day, and another couple of editions of the compendium of local rules for tourney seasons. Now up to edition XII. I bet the local count's scribes are wishing movable type were invented around now.

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